Is Alexander Volkanovski Macedonian?

Alexander Volkanovski has Macedonian links due to his father being born in Beranci, a village in North Macedonia. The village is in the municipality of Mogila and only has a population of around 400 citizens, according to the 2002 census.

Volkanovski's mother is from Greece, meaning the UFC featherweight champion has a mixed background. However, 'The Great' proudly represents the Australian flag and was himself born in Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia.

The 34-year-old grew up in Australia and began his wrestling, rugby and MMA passions in his home country. Volkanovski played at a semi-professional level in rugby league, but quit the sport after pursing an MMA career in 2011.

Alexander Volkanovski has established himself at the very top of the MMA world, with 'The Great' currently sitting number one in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings. The Australian's next challenge is likely to be one of the toughest tests of his professional MMA career.

The 34-year-old is set to rematch UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. The fight was booked after Makhachev's original opponent and former champion Charles Oliveira had to pull out because of a nasty cut on the eyebrow.

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Alexander Volkanovski vows to knock out Islam Makhachev at UFC 294

Alexander Volkanovski narrowly missed a decision win against Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 when they first fought. A rematch under ideal circumstances would probably be another tooth-and-nails contest,

However, Volknovski will have a total of 11 days to prepare for a dangerous and much bigger opponent like Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. As a result, he will most likely be at a disadvantage in terms of cardio and fitness level.

He is approaching the rematch with a completely differnet mindset and recently told MMA Fighting:

“I believe I finish it. I think you're going to see one of the most dangerous Volkanovskis you've ever seen. Purely because I can't afford to do anything else. That's how I'm looking at it.”

He added:

"It's like I'm looking at it, 'Alright. Let's do this,' you know? We're going in for the kill!"

Watch Volkanovski explain his strategy from the 8:22 mark of the video below:

UFC 294 will take place on October 21, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski will headline the event while a middleweight clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman will serve as the co-main event.